About PSL

The Pakistan Super League, PSL, is a major professional Twenty20 cricket league of 5 franchised member clubs. Headquartered in Lahore, the PSL will become the premier professional cricket league in Pakistan replacing the Faysal Bank T20 Cup. The inaugural 2014 season might begin in early February.

In November 2012 Haroon Lorgat, former ICC chief executive, was hired by the Pakistan Cricket Board to setup the proposed Pakistan Super League, contributing at a strategic level to ensure the board was headed in the right direction. “It’s not a long time from now to then but there is still a lot of planning and work has been done and a lot to be done but I can see that there is a lot of energy to get this league off the ground,” Lorgat said while at the PCB headquarters in Lahore. The Pakistan Super League is also being used by the PCB as a stepping-stone for the revival of international cricket in Pakistan. In October 2012, a World XI side played two unofficial T20s against a combined Pakistan XI in Karachi. On 10 January 2013, the Pakistan Super League logo was officially unveiled to the public in an event organized by the PCB in Lahore. Top Pakistan cricketers including the PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf and former ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat were among those who attended the event.

Zaka Ashraf, chairman of the PCB, said he had talked with officials of several cricket boards about sending players to the PSL. “We have received a positive response from Sri Lanka Cricket, Cricket Australia and even South Africa,” Ashraf said.

League structure, format & auction

The value of the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) is being estimated in being in “excess of $100 million” according to Lorgat. Although the names of the region/city-based franchises or the list of companies interested in buying these franchises were not revealed, the PCB is hopeful of completing the franchise-auction process. The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced that for the first 3 years, the league will consist of five teams with 6 foreign players in each team as well as 10 local players and 2 emerging players. A positive response has come from Sri Lanka Cricket, Cricket Australia and South Africa according to Zaka Ashraf. Indian players are also keen to attend the PSL. The inaugural season will be played over 15 days and would involve a total of 23 matches, being at a single venue. Teams will play each other twice in a league format before the top four teams qualify for the semi-finals.

Future Expansion

The PCB has ambitious plans to expand the league in the fourth season to eight teams with a 59-match tournament. these will be played in Karachi.

Broadcast Rights

Signing a broadcast deal by the PCB will be done before the end of February 2013. PTV Sports, TEN Sports and Nimbus Entertainment are rumoured to be part of the deal as well as Power FM 99.